Prior to the present invention, as shown by Yamamoto et al., Tetrahedron Letters, 1653 (1980), activated aromatic acyl halide such as p-nitrobenzoyl chloride, can be converted to the corresponding aromatic silane with loss of carbon monoxide as a result of a decarbonylation reaction utilizing hexamethyldisilane as the silylating reactant. However, it also was found that the silylation of the aromatic nucleus was only partially successful, as the major product of the Yamamoto et al. reaction was the corresponding aromatic silyl ketone.
The present invention is based on my discovery that if in place of the hexamethyldisilane utilized by Yamamoto et al., there is used a halogenated polysilane, of the formula ##STR1## in reaction with an aromatic acyl halide of the formula ##STR2## in the presence of an effective amount of a transition metal catalyst as defined hereinafter, a significant yield of an organic silane is obtained having the formula EQU R.sup.1 [--Si(R.sup.2).sub.2 X].sub.m ( 3)
where X is a halogen radical, R is selected from X, hydrogen, C.sub.(1-13) monovalent hydrocarbon radicals, substituted C.sub.(1-13) monovalent hydrocarbon radicals and divalent --O--, --S-- radicals and mixtures thereof, which can form .tbd.SiOSi.tbd. and .tbd.SiSSi.tbd. connecting groups, R.sup.1 is a C.sub.(6-20) monovalent or polyvalent aromatic organic radical selected from hydrocarbon radicals and substituted hydrocarbon radicals, R.sup.2 is selected from C.sub.(1-13) monovalent hydrocarbon radicals, substituted C.sub.(1-13) monovalent hydrocarbon radicals, and mixtures thereof included within R, n is an integer equal to 1 to 50 inclusive, and m is an integer equal to 1 to 4 inclusive.